Blake confident of Sydney title defence

James Blake said he felt that winning feeling closing in on next week's Australian Open after he moved to within one match of defending his Sydney International title today.

The American world number five only stayed under the hot sun for 49 minutes in blasting his way to a 6-1, 6-4 quarter-final win over Russian Evgeny Korolev, a cousin of tennis glamour girl Anna Kournikova.

"I felt pretty good a couple years ago when I won New Haven going into the US Open.

"It's tough to say whether or not I've ever felt better. The next two matches might decide that."

Blake takes on Melzer having not dropped a set in three matches.

"I feel great on the court. I'm getting used to the heat. I haven't had a long match yet to push me, but I'm not complaining about that," he said.

"These short ones are just great for me."

Blake beat Russians Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev on the way to winning in Sydney last year, one of five ATP titles he claimed as he climbed 20 ranking placings to finish 2006 at four.

2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis was to play former world number one Carlos Moya in a night quarter-final followed by an all-French match between sixth seed Richard Gasquet and and Paul-Henri Mathieu.